AP Biology Ecology Project

There are three sub-projects within this project. Each sub-project has multiple
components. The completion of this project will substitute for our unit on Ecology.

Project Basics
● This project is individual
● You may use your resources (i.e. Google, your text, your yellow book, Bozeman, and/or your peers),
but be careful to not plagiarize as that would result in a major infraction (Score of 0 on the assignment +
Saturday Suspension)
● You must complete all work on a separate sheet of paper (written or typed is fine).
● The project is due on Thursday, April 12th at the start of 3A

Sub-Project 1: Food Chain, Trophic Levels, and Energy Flow Through an

Ecosystem
❏ Select an ecosystem from the list below:
❏ Rainforest
❏ Temperate forest
❏ Coral Reef
❏ Discuss or create the following as they relate to your specific ecosystem:
❏ Create a food web AND energy pyramid with at least ten organisms from your ecosystem. Be
sure that your organisms have the correct connections.
❏ Identify terms as “producers,” “consumers,” “autotrophs,” and “heterotrophs” on your food web
AND energy pyramid.
❏ Discuss the importance of producers – what would happen to an ecosystem if you did not have
any producers? Where do producers get their energy? Identify this source and briefly describe
the process (this should be a nice review - hint, hint).
❏ Explain why is there energy loss as you go higher in the food pyramid? Aka, why do tertiary
consumers only retain a small portion of energy that lower trophic levels consumed?
❏ Complete the two FRQs below
Sub-Project 2: Animal Behavior
(Note: None of these parts can involve humans).
❏ Explain the difference between innate and learned behavior. Give examples of these in animals (​Hint:
consider circadian rhythms, migration, hunting practices, mating practices, etc).
❏ Watch the TED talk here: ​https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_wright_the_evolution_of_compassion
❏ After watching the TED talk, discuss what altruism implies for populations and future generations.
❏ Complete the two FRQs below
Sub-Project 3: Symbiosis
❏ Define symbiosis and the different types of symbiosis below. Come up with examples of each.
❏ Mutualism
❏ Parasitism
❏ Commensalism
❏ Complete the two FRQs below